To Seduce a Mark, Part One of Two
Title: To Seduce a Mark
Author: J. Rosemary Moss
Fandom: White Collar
Genre: Pre-Slash
Pairing: Peter-Neal
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own White Collar.
Summary: Written for a prompt on Collarkink. Neal teaches Peter how to seduce a mark . . . er, suspect.
~oOo~
Neal had to tread carefully; Peter looked like he was about to bolt.
Peter usually made himself at home in Neal's rooms. He'd barge in with a six pack and a bottle of wine. Then he'd kick back and try to convince Neal to watch a game with him.
Not tonight. Neal had all but dragged him here--and the agent still looked like he'd rather be sentenced to an eternity without baseball than remain a moment longer. Worse, he was pacing the floor and wringing his hands.
Neal rolled his eyes as he walked over to his fridge and pulled out a beer for his friend. "Peter, calm down. This will be simple. I'm just going to give you some pointers."
Peter grunted. "Easy for you to say, pretty boy."
"Pretty boy?"
"Don't pretend to take offense," Peter shot back. "You're so goddamned beautiful that you can have anyone you want. The rest of us aren't that lucky."
"Not quite anyone," Neal murmured.
Peter didn't catch that. "I should go," he said, picking up his jacket from the chair he'd thrown it on. "I really should check up on things at home--"
Neal abandoned the beer and rushed to the door. "No," he said, blocking it. "Elizabeth is away visiting her sister. She took Satchmo, so you don't need to look after the dog. And the house will be fine: the pipes won't freeze, the furnace won't explode and no one will break in."
"You hate having me stay over here," Peter reminded him.
"I'll survive," Neal promised. "Just don't sit on the furniture in sweaty clothes or hijack the remote."
Peter leaned against the door, trapping Neal between his arms. "I can't do anything about my snoring. You know how much that annoys you."
Neal looked up, relishing how close the agent's face was. Peter was playing right into his hand. Before he could react, Neal took his face in his hands and kissed him.
Peter went wild-eyed as he broke away. "What the hell was that?"
"Your first lesson," Neal answered, grinning. "That strict, threatening look of yours is unbearably hot. Our suspect will be all over you if you come on that strong. But you just want to lead him on--you don't want him to jump your bones. Especially not before he gives you the information we need."
Peter stepped back, shaking his head. "Trust me, this guy will not find that look hot."
"Why not? I do. I could be into you, Peter."
"You could be into anyone with a pulse!" Peter snapped. "Besides, you have some twisted love-hate attraction to me as an authority figure. Or maybe as a father figure. Who the hell knows what goes on in that head of yours?"
Neal raised his eyebrows, considering. "Huh. You know, Mozzie said almost the same thing once? I didn't believe him, but maybe he had a point."
"Yeah, well, this guy's different. He's not going to give me a second look."
Neal stared at him. Peter really didn't know how attractive he was. How could such a smart guy be so clueless?
"Peter," he said, as he stepped up to him and put a comforting arm around him, "this guy is going to find you irresistable. Just let me teach you how to get his attention and how to string him along."
Peter relaxed. Neal could still feel his tension easing.
"It should be you going undercover," Peter said with a small, rueful smile.
"I'm not the guy's type," Neal reminded him. "You are."
"Aren't you going to make a joke about his poor taste?"
"No," Neal said, guiding him to the sofa. "I'm the last one to criticize someone with a taste for the bossy type. And that reminds me."
"What?" Peter asked, sitting down with him.
Neal gave him a stern look. "I may flirt with anyone with a pulse--but I'm much more discriminating when it comes to being into someone."
Peter shook his head again, but Neal noticed that he was smiling. "Thanks."
"Are you ready for your lessons?"
The agent sighed. "This is going to end in disaster."
"Peter . . ."
"Ok, ok. Do your worst."
~oOo~
"So," Neal began. "We've, ah, already established that you haven't flirted in the twenty-first century."
"I started dating El in '98," Peter said defensively.
"Which is great," Neal said, forcing himself not to roll his eyes, "but you're not going for a long term relationship here. You just want to attract this guy's attention, wine and dine him a few times and put out just enough to learn his secrets."
Peter shot up from the sofa. "Neal, even assuming this guy looks at me twice, I'm not going to sleep with him--"
"I know," Neal said, putting a soothing note back in his voice. "You won't have to--look, let's go back to attracting his attention."
Peter relaxed enough to sit down again. Neal hid his relief. He still had to work Peter up to the knowledge that he'd at least have to kiss the guy a few times.
"Ok," Neal said, "We know what gala he'll be at this weekend. We've got you an invite. Now let's plan how you'll catch his eye."
"Why don't I just walk up to him and introduce myself?"
Neal considered that. "The direct approach--you know, that just might work for you."
Peter favored him with a wry smile. "Should I even ask what your approach would be?"
"Let's just say it'd be a little more complex."
"How complex?"
Neal shot him a mischievous glance. "I like to move in slow . . . my goal is to intrigue my mark from a distance. Find a way to make him chase me."
Peter cocked his head. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. I even like him to stalk me a little; to learn everything he can about me."
"Like your shoe size and what time you get up in the morning?"
"Exactly," Neal said, letting his eyes light up.
Peter took hold of his wrist, applying just enough pressure to add some weight to his playful expression. "And what happens when your mark catches you?"
"I convince him that he owns me."
Peter smiled. "He better have enough sense to keep you on a leash."
"Oh, my mark's smart enough to know that," Neal assured him, raising his leg so that his anklet showed.
Peter narrowed his eyes at the anklet and then shook his head a little. "I don't know. Two miles? He ought to keep you on a tighter leash."
Neal raised his eyebrow. "How close would you like to keep me?"
The agent grinned. "For now? Close enough to help me survive this undercover assignment."
"Don't worry," Neal said, looking down at his wrist, which Peter was still holding. "I think you'll do just fine in the flirting department. In fact, I think we can work with this possessive act of yours."
"Oh no," Peter said, shaking his head again as he released Neal. "That's strictly for your benefit."
Neal smiled. "Ok. So let's work on your direct approach." He paused to stand up.
"Work on it how?"
"By roleplaying, of course. Pretend I'm your suspect, Peter. Now come on; attract my attention."
LINK TO PART TWO
Author: J. Rosemary Moss
Fandom: White Collar
Genre: Pre-Slash
Pairing: Peter-Neal
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own White Collar.
Summary: Written for a prompt on Collarkink. Neal teaches Peter how to seduce a mark . . . er, suspect.
~oOo~
Neal had to tread carefully; Peter looked like he was about to bolt.
Peter usually made himself at home in Neal's rooms. He'd barge in with a six pack and a bottle of wine. Then he'd kick back and try to convince Neal to watch a game with him.
Not tonight. Neal had all but dragged him here--and the agent still looked like he'd rather be sentenced to an eternity without baseball than remain a moment longer. Worse, he was pacing the floor and wringing his hands.
Neal rolled his eyes as he walked over to his fridge and pulled out a beer for his friend. "Peter, calm down. This will be simple. I'm just going to give you some pointers."
Peter grunted. "Easy for you to say, pretty boy."
"Pretty boy?"
"Don't pretend to take offense," Peter shot back. "You're so goddamned beautiful that you can have anyone you want. The rest of us aren't that lucky."
"Not quite anyone," Neal murmured.
Peter didn't catch that. "I should go," he said, picking up his jacket from the chair he'd thrown it on. "I really should check up on things at home--"
Neal abandoned the beer and rushed to the door. "No," he said, blocking it. "Elizabeth is away visiting her sister. She took Satchmo, so you don't need to look after the dog. And the house will be fine: the pipes won't freeze, the furnace won't explode and no one will break in."
"You hate having me stay over here," Peter reminded him.
"I'll survive," Neal promised. "Just don't sit on the furniture in sweaty clothes or hijack the remote."
Peter leaned against the door, trapping Neal between his arms. "I can't do anything about my snoring. You know how much that annoys you."
Neal looked up, relishing how close the agent's face was. Peter was playing right into his hand. Before he could react, Neal took his face in his hands and kissed him.
Peter went wild-eyed as he broke away. "What the hell was that?"
"Your first lesson," Neal answered, grinning. "That strict, threatening look of yours is unbearably hot. Our suspect will be all over you if you come on that strong. But you just want to lead him on--you don't want him to jump your bones. Especially not before he gives you the information we need."
Peter stepped back, shaking his head. "Trust me, this guy will not find that look hot."
"Why not? I do. I could be into you, Peter."
"You could be into anyone with a pulse!" Peter snapped. "Besides, you have some twisted love-hate attraction to me as an authority figure. Or maybe as a father figure. Who the hell knows what goes on in that head of yours?"
Neal raised his eyebrows, considering. "Huh. You know, Mozzie said almost the same thing once? I didn't believe him, but maybe he had a point."
"Yeah, well, this guy's different. He's not going to give me a second look."
Neal stared at him. Peter really didn't know how attractive he was. How could such a smart guy be so clueless?
"Peter," he said, as he stepped up to him and put a comforting arm around him, "this guy is going to find you irresistable. Just let me teach you how to get his attention and how to string him along."
Peter relaxed. Neal could still feel his tension easing.
"It should be you going undercover," Peter said with a small, rueful smile.
"I'm not the guy's type," Neal reminded him. "You are."
"Aren't you going to make a joke about his poor taste?"
"No," Neal said, guiding him to the sofa. "I'm the last one to criticize someone with a taste for the bossy type. And that reminds me."
"What?" Peter asked, sitting down with him.
Neal gave him a stern look. "I may flirt with anyone with a pulse--but I'm much more discriminating when it comes to being into someone."
Peter shook his head again, but Neal noticed that he was smiling. "Thanks."
"Are you ready for your lessons?"
The agent sighed. "This is going to end in disaster."
"Peter . . ."
"Ok, ok. Do your worst."
~oOo~
"So," Neal began. "We've, ah, already established that you haven't flirted in the twenty-first century."
"I started dating El in '98," Peter said defensively.
"Which is great," Neal said, forcing himself not to roll his eyes, "but you're not going for a long term relationship here. You just want to attract this guy's attention, wine and dine him a few times and put out just enough to learn his secrets."
Peter shot up from the sofa. "Neal, even assuming this guy looks at me twice, I'm not going to sleep with him--"
"I know," Neal said, putting a soothing note back in his voice. "You won't have to--look, let's go back to attracting his attention."
Peter relaxed enough to sit down again. Neal hid his relief. He still had to work Peter up to the knowledge that he'd at least have to kiss the guy a few times.
"Ok," Neal said, "We know what gala he'll be at this weekend. We've got you an invite. Now let's plan how you'll catch his eye."
"Why don't I just walk up to him and introduce myself?"
Neal considered that. "The direct approach--you know, that just might work for you."
Peter favored him with a wry smile. "Should I even ask what your approach would be?"
"Let's just say it'd be a little more complex."
"How complex?"
Neal shot him a mischievous glance. "I like to move in slow . . . my goal is to intrigue my mark from a distance. Find a way to make him chase me."
Peter cocked his head. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. I even like him to stalk me a little; to learn everything he can about me."
"Like your shoe size and what time you get up in the morning?"
"Exactly," Neal said, letting his eyes light up.
Peter took hold of his wrist, applying just enough pressure to add some weight to his playful expression. "And what happens when your mark catches you?"
"I convince him that he owns me."
Peter smiled. "He better have enough sense to keep you on a leash."
"Oh, my mark's smart enough to know that," Neal assured him, raising his leg so that his anklet showed.
Peter narrowed his eyes at the anklet and then shook his head a little. "I don't know. Two miles? He ought to keep you on a tighter leash."
Neal raised his eyebrow. "How close would you like to keep me?"
The agent grinned. "For now? Close enough to help me survive this undercover assignment."
"Don't worry," Neal said, looking down at his wrist, which Peter was still holding. "I think you'll do just fine in the flirting department. In fact, I think we can work with this possessive act of yours."
"Oh no," Peter said, shaking his head again as he released Neal. "That's strictly for your benefit."
Neal smiled. "Ok. So let's work on your direct approach." He paused to stand up.
"Work on it how?"
"By roleplaying, of course. Pretend I'm your suspect, Peter. Now come on; attract my attention."
LINK TO PART TWO